The Boy Without a Past: Book One
by RosieStars
Summary: In which a prince of the Fire Nation chooses to help the Avatar restore peace to the world and hopes to figure out the fog shrouding his memories along the way. When the Avatar proves to be very much real and alive, Kazuo choses what he knows is right and joins him and his friends on his quest, finding along the way that he may never have been many to exist in this world at all.
1. Book One: Water

_**❝Even when people have lost hope, they always have faith in the Avatar.❞**_  
 _ **❝Only problem is the Avatar's dead.❞**_

* * *

 _ **Water. Earth. Fire. And air.**_

 _ **There was once a time of peace, where the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads.**_

 _ **But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked**_

 _ **Only the Avatar, master of all elements could have stopped the ruthless firebenders.**_

 _ **But when the world needed him most, he vanished.**_

 _ **A hundred years have passed since and the Fire Nation is nearing victory after wiping out the Air Nomads out of fear of the next Avatar.**_

 _ **Many people believed that the Avatar cycle was broken, including me, but even without the Avatar, someone has to take a stand.**_

 _ **For two and a half years, my cousin has searched for the Avatar to regain his honor and I fear he's gone so far down this path he's lost to me. He must be if he would be so set on destroying the world's only remaining hope...**_

 _ **But we're not there yet. If you want to head all the way back to the beginning, I'm sorry, but this about is as far back as I can remember.**_

 _ **I am Prince Kazuo of the Fire Nation. Who I was before I became that, I'll never fully know. Even when my memories returned years later, they were shattered fragments. The person I was in that life and the person I am in this one are two separate people. This is the journey of how I discovered my past life and so much more than I imagined.**_


	2. A BOY WITHOUT A NAME

_❝ Kazuo. Harmonious man is what your name means.❞_

 _❝ I hope to live up to it.❞_

* * *

How long had he been traveling? That was a good question. When had he begun walking? Where was he? Who was he? So many questions and just a growing pile without answers.

The first thing he could even remember was dragging himself out of a river, coughing and sputtering. Everything else was a blur.

The dirt road was open beneath his feet. Grass grew on either side along with the forest trees. When did he even arrive in the forest? Moonlight filtered through the tree branches. Various animals sounded throughout the place. Everything was blurry, though.

His head hurt. He could feel the headache pounding in his skull. His vision was hardly stable enough to make out anything. His body seemed to be working on its own. He had no destination in mind. He didn't even know where he was. Still, he refused to stop. There was something in him urging him to go on. There was no time to stop, even if he were practically stumbling at this point.

He had no idea how he'd gotten to walking on that road. It seemed he'd fallen into some sort of trance during his trek leading to nowhere. All he had done was stare straight ahead and kept on walking. Even with his headache. Even though his vision was blurring. He had to keep on going.

That is, until he tripped.

He laid there where he fell for who knows how long. He was tired, thirsty, hunger, but he ignored all those feelings, weakly pushing himself up. The questions still swarmed his head. His body worked almost automatically and it was as if he was trapped within his mind, unable to make his own decisions for himself.

He stumbled to the closest tree to support himself. He was dazed, his vision swam even more. He took a deep breath, hoping to stabilize himself. There was no doubt something was wrong. His body was in pain, he could feel it. Yet by some unknown reason, his body only wished to continue onward.

It felt like there was a large weight on his shoulders. His body was begging for rest, and he wanted to allow it, but he just couldn't. He didn't know what was happening or why. More questions for th ever-growing list.

A sudden burst of flames caused him to tumble backwards. He turned his head to find the source...many a source actually. Several men in armor were circled around him with weapons in hand.

"Lower your weapons," a stern voice commanded softly, "it is only a child." The soldiers lowered their hands, spears, swords, and any weapons that they may have held in their hands.

The boy looked around, his head swimming. He just wanted to leave so he could get away from the pain and rest.

When the man who'd spoken stepped forward, his eyes softened. "Hello, child," he smiled warmly, "we mean you no harm. We were simply startled by your presence. I am General Iroh, could you tell us your name?"

"I don't know my name," the boy admitted with a shrug.

"Do you have any family?" Iroh asked.

"I don't know."

Iroh couldn't help noticing how weak the boy seemed. As he begun to approach him, he noted his eyes were hazy and unfocused, his skin dark but cheeks tinged pink. All in all, it was clear he wasn't well.

The boy tried to stand, but before he could, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. Now that he was out, Iroh could feel him burning with fever. The old man worried for his health; he couldn't have been much older than his niece back home. Right off the bat, Iroh knew the child had no traveling supplies, he was alone, and it scared him to think how long he may have been like this.

It was a week and a half before the boy woke up. Other than the occasional moan or shift in his sleep, he had been quiet. Iroh had been about to leave when the soldiers had found him, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to stay a few days to care for him. He just couldn't leave a child alone in this state. Now that whatever sickness that plagued him had passed, Iroh expected him to wake any day now.

Iroh knew he could not continue this war. There was no way he could bear it after the death of his son, Lu Ten. But how could he leave straightaway when there was someone who needed him now?

When he chose to return home, how could he look his nephew in the eye and only be able to remember he'd left a boy barely younger than him to die?

He had been in the middle of making himself some tea when the boy finally stirred. He tossed and turned a few times before his eyes fluttered open. He jolted upright and searched his surroundings frantically.

"It's about time," Iroh commented lightheartedly. "It would be such a waste for you to miss another day to enjoy tea."

Once the boy was awake and well enough to speak, the two sat together, talking. Every question he was asked was answered with a shrug or an 'I don't know.' There was something about Iroh that made him feel calm despite their meeting.

"Kazuo, I understand you happen to be in a fragile state right now," Iroh started after they came to dead end to dead end in explaining his appearance, when the boy furrowed his brows.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"I must call you something!" Iroh chuckled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can't keep calling you 'Boy' or 'Young man' after all." The man seemed to present him as if the name were already his own. "Kazuo is a fine name for a fine young man. What do you think? Do you like it?"

The boy thought moment, then nodded with a broad grin. He took a sip of the tea Iroh had made. It was perfectly balanced, not too sweet nor too bitter, and once it went down his throat, it warmed his whole body and even made him want to smile.

"I like it," he said. "I like the tea, too."

Iroh chuckled. "Thank you. Is there anything at all you can remember?"

"I..." he trailed off. "I remember my parents' faces. I could give you a description of them, but not their names. I don't know the name of where I'm from. There's nothing else."

"Do you remember how old you are?"

"I think I'm eight. That's it." Kazuo took another sip, and made a small content sound.

"I can see this troubles you," sighed Iroh, "And I am not surprised. Your memory is fractured, but hopefully these things will come back to you over time."

"Maybe," shrugged Kazuo. "But for now...I've got nothing." It was strange. The memories seemed to sit in the back of his head, so close yet drifted just out of reach whenever he grabbed for them. It was disturbing and slightly annoying.

"If you want, you could stay with me until then," Iroh offered with a warm and friendly smile. "You will be safe under my care. It's dangerous for someone your age to be wandering alone." He held out his large hand. Kazuo stared down at it, his eyes briefly reading confusion as his mind began to weigh in his options. But considering he didn't trust it right now, he decided to go with his gut.

What choice did he have anyway? He had nowhere to go, no family, not even a name of his own.

He looked down at the hand, then back at Iroh who was still smiling. Slowly, a matching grin spread across his face and his smaller hand grabbed onto it. Iroh shook it, as to confirm his words as promise with that one handshake.

As Iroh began telling him about his home, the Fire Nation, and the other three, the Earth Kingdom (Where he was found, according to Iroh), the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads (though they were now long extinct), Kazuo asking various questions and making slight comments, he could sense a sadness in him the longer they talked. Then the old man began explaining to the boy that he did not plan on going back home but wished to travel the world some first since he'd recently lost someone dear to him. Rather than bring Kazuo with him, he planned to send a letter to his father and family about Kazuo and why he was to stay in the palace while Iroh tried to control his grief.

To say Kazuo resented the idea of being sent away alone was true, but he didn't want to speak against him since he could not remember a time he'd experienced grief himself. But Kazuo didn't know anyone and it was doubtful he'd be welcomed even from what little he'd learned. Being thrust into the unknown yet again irritated him; meeting Iroh made him feel certain to finally have something constant in his new life, some comfort he wasn't to face it alone. And he was already bound to leave.

"I won't be gone long," Iroh assured him when he noticed the disappointed expression set in on his face. "Besides, my nephew, Zuko will enjoy having a friend, and my niece is about your age. They won't mind you." Kazuo raised a brow as to say, 'Uhuh, sure.' "Don't worry." Iroh gently ruffled his hair, getting a few laughs out of him.

"Now..." Iroh took out what looked like a game board and set it between them on the low table. "Would you like to learn how to play Pai Sho?"

* * *

Kazuo sat in the carriage as he was taken to ride from the port and to the castle once the ship had docked. The letter Iroh received had said the Fire Lord was angry, but he understood his firstborn son's grief and so Kazuo was to separate from Iroh this short while to come onto Fire Nation soil. In the days before he had to leave, Iroh taught him the proper way to greet the Fire Lord, and how to respond to the questions he would likely ask. He was given a cloak so no one would see him, and when he asked why, he was told it was because he looked like he belonged to the Water Tribes with his tan complexion and dark brown hair. None of the Fire Nation civilians would take kindly to a Water tribe peasant living among the royals as one of them. Of course, he had no idea where he was actually from so he had no way to dispel that assumption.

Keeping his head down, once they had reached the Fire Nation palace, he was immediately escorted out and rushed inside with hurried steps. By the time Kazuo finally entered, he was greeted with the sight of a long red carpet and marble floors. He lifted his head up as his eyes roamed his surroundings. Beautiful paintings decorated, most of them depicting the royal family and nature. Before he could admire the rest, footsteps were made towards him.

Two servants approached him and told him to follow them. As he did so, lowering his head to avoid the gazes of those they passed. They opened a pair of large doors to reveal the throne room. Besides the Fire Lord, the only other people in the room were a man, a woman, and two children.

Kazuo walked forward, and then knelt down before the throne with his head lowered in the way Iroh showed him, his forehead touching the ground.

"Remove your hood," Azulon, the most feared man in the world and Fire Lord, ordered. Kazuo did as he said, his amber eyes staring up at the man. The Fire Lord's hair was tied up in a half topnot, his hair white from age and reaching his waist. He had a goatee and a long mustache, his pale golden eyes strengthening Kazuo's anxiousness. His skin was pale, very much unlike his own, and he wanted to shrink away from Azulon's scrutinizing stare.

He continued to study him as Kazuo stayed down. The flames before the throne were on-going, burning a bright orange. Their intensity lowered as the Fire Lord then closed his eyes. "So, what is your name?" he asked.

Kazuo kept his eyes on his form, his head slightly bowed, attempting to remain humble and inferior in the presence of the intimidating old man. How he could be Iroh's father boggled him. "I don't truly remember, but General Iroh has named me Kazuo, Fire Lord Azulon." His answer was clear and strong for he knew mumbling and stuttering would only irritate him.

"Kazuo?" repeated Azulon.

"Yes."

The Fire Lord stroked his beard as he pondered. "My son sent a letter of you with nothing but good things. He tells me of your fractured memory but also that you have interest to learn of Fire Nation laws and history. Tell me your knowledge of what you may have learned in your time with my son."

Kazuo gulped, then calmed himself and nodded his head, remembering his nights of attention and curiosity to the history of all the nations, not just simply this one. Surely he had retained something, he assured himself as he thought of which event to recite. Finally, he lifted his head to look at Azulon who still awaited an answer. "One of your many great achievements, Fire Lord Azulon, was that of when you took Garsai. Instead of a large army, you built a small and strong one because you'd planned a surprise attack. You faced the Garsai army straight on rather than attack the city itself. One of your men acted as a citizen and warned the army of your arrival so they would try to surprise you, while you tricked them. When they got there and attacked the camp, you and your army surrounded them.

"During battle, you and the Garsai general, General Wu, fought, but since you were the stronger and better fighter, you defeated him. After you completely took over Garsai and parts of the..." He faltered a moment before recalling the name. "The Si Wong Desert, you built many colonies in the Earth Kingdom."

Hidden away from sight, he crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping that his slight blunder hadn't deterred any positive reaction. Then Azulon clapped his hands, and Kazuo let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I see my son did not lie," Azulon briefly smiled. "I am amazed."

Kazuo bowed again and decided on the finishing touch that would hopefully put him in somewhere relatively in Azulon's good graces. "Nothing is more amazing than your hard work to become one of the greatest Fire Lords in history, Fire Lord Azulon," he said.

Azulon stood from his throne and descended the stairs. The boy kept himself bowing even though he thought his heart might burst out of his chest. "Stand up, child," commanded the Fire Lord, and Kazuo inhaled deeply, sitting up before getting to his feet. His hands were folded before him as he gazed up at the Fire Lord. He grabbed his chin, tilting Kazuo's head back slightly.

"How odd," Azulon observed. "Your eyes are a bright amber, identical to the superior shades of gold belonging to the Fire Nation. And yet your very appearance seems that of the inferior Water Tribe peasants. Perhaps one of your parents or an ancestor happened to be one of us." He released Kazuo's chin, stroking a hand along his hair in what seemed to be an almost affectionate gesture. "Kazuo. Harmonious man is what your name means. It is a name I assume my son chose to suit you."

"I hope to live up to it," Kazuo stated sincerely.

Azulon nodded. "Since you are to stay here, you must know the royal family," he said. The Fire Lord turned to look at his younger son and his family. "Prince Ozai and my daughter-in-law, Princess Ursa." As he said their names, his hand signaled for them to approach. "My grandchildren, Zuko, Azula." He signaled for them to join as well.

The family stood and walked over to the two, and Kazuo kept his gaze steady as he looked at them, even while his heart pounded hard and loud enough he wouldn't be surprised if they heard it. He looked at the boy who approached him. It had to be Zuko who Iroh had told him about. Silently, they greeted each other, and then Kazuo turned to Prince Ozai.

In his eyes there was something Kazuo did not like. His aura was quite offputting, setting off every warning bell, and even though he feared Azulon, Kazuo had a feeling he ought to fear Ozai more. Subconsciously, his hand slowly reached up for Azulon's sleeve, and the Fire Lord watched as the child held onto it with his hand. His eyes found him still staring at Ozai. He followed Kazuo's gaze, wondering why the boy was afraid.

"So my brother adopted a mixed-breed peasant, hmm?" Kazuo glowered at Ozai, unable to fight off the frown that set in at his tone.

"Maybe not so," Azulon countered, surprisingly coming to his defense. "He has no recollection of his past, so it is uncertain of his previous status. He has sparks in his eyes, which means he may even have or will firebend, which would make him an asset to us."

Kazuo bowed to the royal family. "I will not do anything to shame you," he said, trying to appear neither a nuisance nor a rival. Ozai let out a snort, but his wife Ursa gave Kazuo a warm smile.

"It is nice to meet you." Her voice was warm and soft, with a maternal air about it. Instantly, Kazuo knew Ursa was like Iroh. The girl, Azula, hadn't said two words to him, and he knew that was for the best. She had the same unsettling aura about her as Prince Ozai, which would only mean trouble.

"Servants." No sooner had the word left Azulon's mouth, two workers jumped to attention. "Take Kazuo to his room and prepare his clothes, " he ordered.

Unloosening his hand from the Fire Lord's sleeve, Kazuo dropped his hand to his side as the servant woman placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away to what would be his new room in his new home. The walk was silent and awkward, but Kazuo kept his mind on Iroh, wondering what he was doing and how he was dealing with things. Iroh had said he would send letters and Kazuo knew he would, but he would rather have him here.

Upon arriving at his new room, Kazuo spotted the outfit he would be wearing spread out on the bed. He picked up the fabric, made of fine material and different shades of red. It complimented his skin and eyes yet it just didn't feel right. However, he knew he'd be going into this type of lifestyle and there'd be no going back. There weren't any regrets, but this was something to get used to.

"Well, this will be fun," he muttered.

(I know dark and tan skin doesn't necessarily equal to Water Tribe ancestry, but bear with me, because it is common among them since if I remember correctly, Fire Nation is based off the Japanese and the Water Tribes are based off the Eskimos. Anyway, hope you liked this!)


	3. A DAY OUT

❝ So, what do you think about it now, the Fire Nation that is? ❞

❝ You make it seem pretty nice and interesting. ❞

* * *

Kazuo sat on his knees before the turtleduck pond, smiling faintly as he watched the babies all swim after their mother. This section of the royal garden was beautiful. Panda Lilies and Snapdragons grew in the bushes surrounding him. The sight of the happy turtleduck family made him smile—and hurt, just a little.

It'd been three days since he'd first arrived. That first morning was very strange. He didn't remember where he'd be waking up. The servants had dressed him and groomed him for breakfast which he'd deemed awkward. All gatherings felt awkward, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Kazuo kept his eyes on his food, then either made his way outside or to the library where he found his way to the history section. If he couldn't remember anything of his past, he'd learn all he could about the past of everything else with some hope something would allow him to retrieve the slightest tidbit of his memory.

Unfortunately, it was a difficult search to find books on the other nations. He did learn one thing about the Fire Nation he didn't need to read about to know: their arrogance exceeded his expectations by miles.

Kazuo slowly dipped his hand into the water. The turtleducks swam towards him, quacking at him. He chucked lightly, watching as the water moved with them.

A soft laugh suddenly caught his attention as it came a few feet away. Curious, Kazuo turned his head in the direction of the noise to see a pair of eyes peeking out from behind one of the willow trees by the pond. They disappeared when they met his, but Kazuo stood and made his way to stand beneath the branches' shade. From here he could catch a view of the pond where he'd sat seconds ago. Looking down, he spot the person in question who'd been spying on him and now scrambled up, looking down at their feet, hair hanging over their face.

"Hi," Kazuo greeted quietly, unsure of what else to say. Other than Iroh, he hadn't had much experience talking to people.

"Hi." They lifted their face and Kazuo could see it was a boy his age. Though his features were hard to make out with his long hair still hanging over his face, the first thing he noticed was his skin, a few shades darker than Kazuo. His black hair was braided into dreadlocks, decorated with colorful beads. Freckles were scattered along the bridge of his nose and cheeks. The large, wide brown eyes that had been watching him were anxious and scared. And Kazuo didn't like that at all.

"You know, you're not exactly going to have fun here all alone," Kazuo tried with a small smile. "If you wanted to play, all you needed to do was ask." He held out his hand. "I'm Kazuo."

For a long moment, the boy stared at his hand, uncertain, as he fiddled with his hair. Then he took Kazuo's hand. "Indyira," he said, his voice soft and quiet. "Indyira Takana."

"What are you doing here?" Kazuo asked as he let his hand fall to his side, despite knowing the obvious answer. Either he was a friend of Zuko's and Azula's or a servant. And judging from his clothing, the former was unlikely.

"I help in the kitchen, but the chef sent me outside," Indyira shrugged, still speaking low and refusing to meet Kazuo's eyes.

"Where are you from?"

Another long moment of silence. Then, "I came from one of the red-light districts near here." Kazuo's brows furrowed. He'd read about those places in the colonies; nicknamed red-light districts because late at night those certain streets were the only ones open and lit, except instead of the usual candle lights, they were lit with red lanterns so the entire street was bathed in the color. To say it wasn't a street he'd ever want to find himself on was an understatement.

"Hmm, I can't really remember where I'm from," Kazuo stated, though at this point, it'd stopped bothering him. He sat down under the tree and made space for Indyira to sit. "It's alright. I swear I won't bite," he joked with a smile.

A small smile broke across Indyira's face and he sat down beside him. Without his hair in his face like a shield between them, it was clear to see he had pretty, girly features and high cheekbones, long thick lashes outlining his eyes. "Good, that means you're not like Azula," he said, his voice quiet but now obvious to be soft by nature. "She's scary. Her version of 'a game' is setting stuff on fire." Kazuo would have laughed, except he didn't seem like he was joking. "Either way, sometimes not remembering is for the best. It's a good thing General Iroh found you and not someone else."

"You know about that?"

"Word travels fast in the palace," Indyira shrugged. "We're meant to be seen but not heard, and mostly not even seen unless serving people directly, so it's easy to overhear conversations, oversee letters, or pass along gossip." He began fiddling with his hair again, rolling one of the beads in his fingers. "They said how General Iroh adopted a Fire Nation and Water Tribe mixed-breed — Sorry, I meant, mixed nation, my mom always told me not to say mixed-breed—and I got curious."

"I guess it's okay," said Kazuo, "just don't do it again because it will get creepy."

"So, how do you feel about the Fire Nation?" Indyira inquired.

Kazuo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Well, it's certainly different. Then again, what do I know? I've hardly been in any other nation but here," he shrugged, looking at the servant boy. "It's a large city, the first and only I can remember being in so there's nothing to compare the cultures here to." He wasn't sure what else there was to say. He hadn't yet traveled enough to speak of the Fire Nation or its people. Sure, he'd read enough books to get a good idea, but that wasn't the same as actually experiencing it.

"That's right," mused Indyira aloud. "You've never seen much of the world you can remember. And you've probably never been outside the palace since you got here..." His eyes lit up as he turned to Kazuo, a grin spreading across his face. "I could show you around today!"

Eyes widening, Kazuo was speechless, then he smiled back. "How?" he asked, curious.

"Princess Ursa knew my mom, so she has a soft spot for me, ever since she helped me get away from my stepfather," Indyira admitted, his fingers moving on to fiddle with another bead. "I might not like everything about it, but I'm happy to be where I am. Every minute I spend not getting my face punched in is great. I don't have to sleep hungry or on the street, and I'm free to come and go where I please as long as my work's done and I don't get in anyone's way." He stood and extended a hand toward Kazuo.

As he placed his hand in Indyira's, the boy yanked him up with a lot more strength than expected. "Don't you think we might get in trouble for this?" Kazuo inquired as Indyira ran forward.

"Nobody has to know!"

They were out of the courtyard and heading toward the large, stone wall surrounding it. Indyira released Kazuo's hand and began pushing various areas to see where the weak spot was, until he then pushed down a certain stone into the wall and a small hole appeared. "Literally all of the royal family except Azula and Prince Ozai have done it at least once," he explained. "I've even helped Zuko sneak out a few times until he could do it himself. They'll never expect someone of the royal family to go out without guards. They'll think you're some nobleman's kid."

"Won't anyone get suspicious?"

"You'll fit right in. Sure, you're a bit darker than they're used to seeing, but it's not _that_ uncommon," Indyira assured him. "My parents were Fire Nation but my grandmother Hama was a waterbender, and my friend Liling has an earthbender mother. Some people may look down on us because we're not _purely_ Fire Nation, but they also won't think twice about seeing us."

They shared a smile that somewhat eased Kazuo's worries. "Then let's go," he said, taking Indyira's hand, oblivious to the faint blush dusting the young servant boy's cheeks before he shook his head and took off. Kazuo could hardly keep up with him as they ran, the palace growing smaller behind them. "Where are we heading?"

Indyira looked back at him. "That's the thing I thought you might like. There's a bunch of places we can go," he laughed. "But there's someone I want you to meet first!" Even as everything became a blur in his new friend's excitement to get to wherever they are going, Kazuo watched the Fire Nation civilians go on about their everyday lives out the corner of his eyes.

Once they finally stopped, he nearly collapsed, having to take several deep breathes before the world stopped spinning. "Please warn me next time," he told Indyira, panting. "Where are we?"

"She comes here everyday to see them, so I thought this might be the most likely place I'd find her," he shrugged with a sheepish grin. He wasn't as out of breath as Kazuo, but his face was flushed. "Look, see?"

Kazuo turned to see what he was pointing at. Three women stood in the center of the marketplace, dancing. A large crowd surrounded them, throwing gold pieces into a small open bag, some people even clapping along to the rhythm of the music. The two boys maneuvered themselves to the front to watch the three women dancing together in matching, fluid movements.

The dancers wore scarlet tops with loops for their arms in which allowed their curves and stomach to show. Their pants were baggy yet snug around their hips, having that ballooning effect down the bottom like harem pants with gold pointed shoes. Gold chains wrapped around their heads and one necklace that seemed to go down their torso and around their waists. All the women had their hair in neat ponytails that were identical but at the same time their own. Gold silk half masks covered up the lower half of their faces so only their red-lidded eyes were shown, outlined heavily in coal.

"Now, I know she's here somewhere," Indyira mused, searching the crowd. "Liling never misses a performance," he stated. "She wants to learn to perform too, even if she already has a lot more than she could ever get dancing for money on the streets." There was a faint bitterness in his tone, but Kazuo didn't notice, fascinated by the dancers as they moved gracefully, their feet barely touching the ground.

The front woman grabbed a young girl from the audience and began to dance with her, twirling her around as she matched their movement and rhythm as if she'd practiced beforehand. More people gathered and more gold pieces were thrown into the bag. More than the dance, Kazuo enjoyed the music played by the drummers and tambourine players not too far away. One added their violin to the mix, starting slow and soft, then becoming swift and loud, enhancing and flowing beautifully with the music. He enjoyed the way the dancers seemed to smile with their eyes, never missing a beat. He wasn't sure who they were or what this was, but he felt he'd missed a chapter on the Fire Nation culture.

Soon the music stopped, and so did the women, their tiredness suddenly visible since they'd appeared to have an endless supply of energy in their dance. As the girl separated from them, breathing heavily, she noticed the two boys and walked over to them as she smiled. Up close, it was easier to see her, black tendrils of hair escaping the two buns on either side of her head. Out of everything, her jade green eyes stood out most amidst her bronze skin. "You had fun," Indyira smiled. A faint crack was heard as he hugged her tightly and she grimaced briefly before letting out a laugh. "Kazuo, this is Liling, Liling, Kazuo."

"Pleasure," she said flatly, arching an eyebrow. She looked to be about Zuko's age, and at the thought of the young prince, Kazuo wondered where he was right now. It was doubtful he had many friends if he had to sneak out just to be outside the palace for anything other than lessons.

"Nice to meet you." Kazuo glanced at the performers collecting their money and leaving. "Do you know who they are and what dance that's called?" he asked her.

If possible, her brow rose higher. "It's an ancient dance people did a long time ago. It's called Raqs Sharqi," explained Liling. "Most who still do it now are Aerial silk performers and gypsies." She glanced at the women and musicians, and pointed at them. "Those are gypsies. A lot of people see them as thieves or people who study the dark arts. They think nothing good comes of them, but I know the rumors aren't really true."

Kazuo frowned, wondering why anyone would think any of that of people. Maybe he could find a book about them later when he was back in the library. He then felt Indyira's hand wrap around his wrist as he continued to take him further into the city, Liling tagging along. "Where are we going now?" Kazuo questioned.

"To get something to eat, of course!" Liling replied, lightly shoving his shoulder as she allowed Indyira to lead the way. When they came to a stop, Kazuo looked up at the stall, a man standing there, staring down at the three children with a smile.

"Oh, I see you two are back," he said kindly. "What will you be having today?"

Liling and Indyira separated briefly from Kazuo, discussing in hushed whispers what to get that would suit both their tastes that their new friend might also like. Finally, they both turned back around to order. "Hanami Dango," they chirped simultaneously.

Hanami Dango? Kazuo hadn't heard about that either. Was he missing something? Were the books he'd read too old and out-of-date or too young and missing information? Shaking off his thoughts, deciding to focus on the present, he looked up to see the man hand each of them a stick with three dumplings on them. They were pink, white, and green, and he was pretty sure he'd never seen food in those colors.

Liling handed the man a gold piece without so much as a bat of an eye. "Don't worry about the change," she told him as she took her dumpling stick. "Let's go."

Taking a bite of the first dumpling, Kazuo found it sweet and hot. He hummed in delight, loving the taste. "These are usually served in Sakura viewings, which you missed since you didn't come until after," explained Indyira with his mouth full of the round mochiko treat.

"That's a shame because it's always so beautiful. My dad takes us to see them every year, but when he can't, he has our servant, Fat, do it," Liling commented, glancing sideways at Indyira with a raised brow at his lack of manners. Noting her pointed gaze, he swallowed quickly.

Kazuo nodded his head. "Yeah, those I read about," he said after chewing his dumpling. "Hopefully, I can see them when they come next spring."

The three kept on talking, as Indyira insisted on showing Kazuo to his favorite places. It seemed once he came out of his shell, he could hardly stop talking, going on about anything he could think of, switching from one topic to the next as soon as one was exhausted. Instead of annoying, the young prince found it rather endearing. Liling was much more reserved in comparison, and though she was likeable, she could be a touch annoying.

She was always the first to correct out any mistakes in either's grammar in a tone that sounded all but condescending. Any time Indyira gave a piece of information that was wrong, she'd interrupt to correct him with the her knowledge. Whenever he did something that displayed how little he knew about proper etiquette, she'd send him a look and remind him of their previous lessons, then explain to Kazuo she was teaching him to fit into civilized society after Indyira spending up until the last few months of his life in the red-light district much to his embarrassment each time. Then there was how she was not at all sensitive to the topic of his upbringing, ignoring his winces, saying most people from there were uncultured and ignorant with hardly any morals of right and wrong, leaving out nothing about the type of activity that goes down there or the things Indyira's stepfather did, and that Indyira was one of the lucky few to make it out in one piece.

All in all, Kazuo found her surprisingly blunt, strict, bossy, and proper for someone only two years older than him, but she was nice and her intentions were good. When asked about her lineage, she confided she was mixed nation like Indyira had said, her father being the finest sword master and maker in the entirety of the Fire Nation and had his own school for master sword fighters (which was more fact than bragging according to his friend), and her mother being a former warrior from one of the colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Yet unlike some mixed nation marriages, she insisted, it was consensual and they truly did love each other.

They stopped in the town square, sitting on a bench facing a large, marble fountain in the center. Kazuo swung his legs back and forth as he had finished the last Dango and now mindlessly chewed on the wooden stick. Indyira threw his stick into the garbage a short distance away. "So, what do you think about it now, the Fire Nation that is?" he asked, fiddling with the beads in his hair again.

Kazuo looked at him, then at the fountain. "You make it seem pretty nice and interesting," he replied with a small smile.

"One of the greatest places in the world?" His smile widened at Liling's mocking playful arrogance. He looked at her out the corner of his eyes.

"Maybe."

"Good, because basically you're stuck here now, so you may as well figure out how to be happy right where you are," she teased with the first smile he'd seen her send _his_ way, not Indyira's.

"We still haven't gone to the playground yet," reminded Indyira, jumping off the bench and waited as they did the same.

"Well, whatever, let's get going," Liling shrugged.

By the time they got to the playground, a bunch of other kids were laughing and running around. Some parents were there, tending to infants and some talking to other mothers. Kazuo stuck close to his friends. Two kids ran over. "Liling!" one of them cried, both boys grinning ear to ear, near identical. One had long hair pulled back in a single braid with deep set citrus-colored eyes and pale skin. The other had short hair pulled into a neat bun with identical eyes except colored jade. They looked excited, but turned confused by Kazuo's presence. "Uh..." said the green-eyed one who'd spoken before. "Who's this?"

"Ryuu, Liwei, this is Kazuo. Kazuo, these are my brothers, Liwei and Ryuu," Liling introduced them, speaking slower as she made signs and gestures with her hands. Noting Kazuo's confusing at her actions, Indyira briefly explained Ryuu was deaf in a hushed whisper.

"Kazuo is under the care of General Iroh and is staying at the royal palace," Indyira elaborated. She continued making hand signs and gestures towards the citrus-eyed one, Ryuu as he spoke.

"Annnnnd?" Liwei stretched, knowing there to be more than that.

"And that's it, dum-dum," snapped Liling, her hands on her hips. "If he knew more, he would tell you."

Ryuu signed something, his brow furrowed. "Ryuu wants to know where Zuko is?" translated Liwei.

"I don't see him much so I wouldn't know," sighed Kazuo, looking them over.

"Figures. Zuko's very, very attached to his mother; we barely see him because he always spends time with her," Liwei scoffed. "Most of us come because our parents are too busy or don't care that much, but she's one of the few who actually cares enough to come find him to bring him home."

In response, Ryuu lightly shoved his head, and signed something. "I am _not_ jealous!" Liwei exclaimed, causing both his siblings to shoot him a skeptical look.

Sensing the argument brewing, Indyira separated from them, then thought a moment before explaining, "Don't worry about Zuko, most people never get along with him when they first meet him, so don't take it too personally."

"What if he just thinks I'm not good enough?" Kazuo couldn't help asking.

"Of course not," laughed Indyira, his brown eyes twinkling. "He just hasn't gotten to know you yet, but when he unglues himself from Princess Ursa's side long enough to, I'm sure he'll like you. You're pretty nice and interesting, too." His cheerfulness brightened Kazuo's mood some as Indyira pulled him over to the swings. He sat down and pointed to the one next to him. "Come sit next to me."

Kazuo stared down at the seat curiously and sat, his hands on the chains either side of him as he glanced at both of them. He noticed how the other children were swinging back and forth, and decided to copy their movements. The rush of air that hit him and the feeling of his feet leaving the ground was exhilarating. It was like he was flying, and it... It was...familiar.

 _A faint, blurry face entered his mind, laughter ringing out as a girl pushed him to go higher._ Eyes wide, Kazuo dug the heels of his feet into the dirt beneath him, bringing the swing to an abrupt halt. But when he tried to touch on that memory, it drifted out of reach. When he tried to figure out the details of that face or detect whose laughter it was, his mind came up blank.

"What's wrong?" Indyira immediately attempted to slow down. Once the swing died down from its momentum, he turned to the boy beside him with his brows furrowed in concern.

"I remembered something," Kazuo mumbled, distraught. "I loved the swings. Someone was always there to push me because no matter how hard I tried, I could never get more than a few feet off the ground. I can't remember her face, though."

Indyira beamed at him. "See, you got something to return to you already! Is there anything else?"

"Uh...not really." He covered his face in his hands. "I hate not remembering anything."

Smiling softly at him, Indyira reached over and took his hand. "It's better than nothing," he reassured him. "Maybe it might lead you somewhere." When the golden-eyed boy said nothing, his smile faded. "Do you want to leave?"

Finally, "No. Not yet." Kazuo found the swings helped along his train of thought. On one hand, it was frustrating, the helplessness of not being able to recall the simplest things anyone else would if asked. His retained memories were fuzzy, hidden away by a fog, and he had no idea whether or not there was someone out there looking for him. For all he knew, nobody cared or missed him. Yet, when he glanced over at Indyira and remembering the day's events...

He found calling this place home wasn't all bad.

* * *

(Author's Note: I know this might be a bit slow-paced, but I kind of wanted to have a chapter about just him before Kazuo becomes Zuko's friend and because I think he should have friends outside just the canon people in the Avatar universe. Also, I hope I got some things right, and I'm not one hundred percent sure if violins exist in this world, but I love violins—you can blame my mother for that for letting me watch "Queen of the Damned" with her when I was nine and letting me fall in love with the music even though I cannot play to save my life— although if there is a version of a violin in this universe, that would be cool so I wouldn't feel as if I'm not being accurate. I hope you liked this and until next time, smooches! 💋)


	4. YOU KNOW FAMILY, A BUNCH OF BACKSTABBERS

_❝ Well_ _that doesn't seem fair_ _.❞_

 _❝ The world hardly_ _is_ _.❞_

* * *

"Could you read this one to me?" Indyira asked, pointing to a page in the book lying between the two boys as they sat on a couch in the palace library.

"Sure, but try to remember some of it, because you know Liling's going to get on you about it later when she's teaching you," Kazuo said before reading aloud. They had snuck back inside over an hour ago through the hole in the courtyard and covered up their tracks. It was while Kazuo was looking through books that his friend revealed he'd never learned how to read or write. It was one of the many things Liling had made it her mission to teach him. Apparently for Indyira, being her friend was hard work.

"How do you not know how to read?" Kazuo had inquired, raising his eyebrows. He immediately regretted it when the boy's cheeks flushed.

"It...never really came up back home," he shrugged, fiddling with the beads in his hair. "My stepfather, Heno, wasn't big on learning—said you can't learn fighting from a book, and my mom was always busy doing...her job." He hesitated on speaking of what his mother had done for a living, his cheeks growing redder if possible.

"I know Liling told me about some of the stuff he did to you, but what exactly does he do for a living over there?" Kazuo closed the thick, hardcover book he held, tilting his head to the side.

"He runs a brothel and a fight club," sighed Indyira in a pained voice. "I think you can tell which one he put my mom to work in, and which one he had already started to put me to work in. Now can we please talk about something else?"

The tense atmosphere lasted a few seconds before he could figure out something. "Okay, then would you like me to read this to you?" Kazuo held up his book with a soft smile, jumping at a chance to distract him from the subject. "It's about the spirits and some of old legends."

"Sure." Indyira gave a crooked smile before sitting beside him as he peered over Kazuo's shoulder at the pages.

And now they were here. For his part, Indyira could read some from the few characters he had learned, sometimes choosing a page and trying to read it out loud himself. Kazuo was patient with him, helping him with the words he didn't understand, and showing him the way they were written on paper. After some time, Indyira could read out a string of sentences before needing help again, but he'd always be happy to have any progress at all.

It was just another thing Kazuo couldn't help find endearing and just a little adorable if not a bit sad. Being around someone like Indyira was humbling. He was willing to settle because he'd known firsthand things could be much worse. He had learned to live without most basics and learned to appreciate the littlest things, because, hey, something was better than nothing. At the same time, it made Kazuo felt slightly bad for him as his previous words came back to him, how he was happy so long as he had food, a place to sleep, and no punches.

"Reading another book?"

The voice caught the boys off guard, and immediately Kazuo's head swerved to the direction it came from. Standing there was Princess Ursa, who had a small, warm smile on her face.

Indyira instantly stood up and bowed low, though slightly improper compared to the way Kazuo had seen it done. "Apologies, Your Majesty," he mumbled.

"I've told you," Ursa smiled, tilting his head up and patting his head in an affectionate gesture. "You don't have to be so formal with me, Indyira. Neither do you, Kazuo, after all, you are a part of the royal family now."

Kazuo said nothing, only watching the woman. He had deduced that Ursa was kind like Iroh, but he still hadn't known her well. "I know this must be hard on you," she said, "and well, I just want you to know I'm here if you need me." He continued to stare at Ursa, trying to see in the woman's eyes if her words were true. He could see the steadiness and warmth that told the princess meant her words.

"Thank you," was his final reply. _If only Iroh was here..._ he couldn't help thinking. The general had sent him letters as promised, but it wasn't the same.

The large doors to the library opened, making way for a servant. "Your Majesty." Her voice echoed through the huge room as she bowed the instant she made eye contact with the Princess. "It is Prince Ozai. He wishes to request an audience with Fire Lord Azulon and wants you there with Zuko and Azula," the servant explained.

Ursa nodded with a sigh and stood. Indyira had yet to lift his eyes off the floor despite her warm greeting towards him much to her disappointment. "My offer still stands," she told Kazuo. He watched her back as she walked away. Though he felt he could find solace in her, he didn't know her enough to try.

"What was that about?" he asked Indyira once she was gone and hopefully out of earshot. The young boy stood up, brushing himself off and some of the hair out of his eyes.

"She's the closest thing I have to my mom, but...I can't help feel like I owe her a debt even though she tells me I don't," he sighed, his fingers already beginning to spin around one of the beads in his dreads again. "The only reason I'm here is because Princess Ursa knew my mom, so she offered me a place here on the staff after she died so I'd have some sort of chance, I guess. Don't get me wrong, like I said, I'm happy to be where I am, it's just I know she cares more from obligation than anything, and it's not something I can forget."

And so, Kazuo slid off the couch and placed the book they'd been reading back in the spot he'd took it from on one of the various bookshelves. Walking over, he placed a hand on Indyira's shoulder. "You never know, I mean I like you so she has to, too," he smiled. "And not just because of your mom." It was a while but then he began to smile back. Kazuo lowered his voice. "Come on, let's see what that meeting is all about. What do you think?"

"Hmm, I'd say it has something to do with General Iroh failing to capture Ba Sing Se," Indyira replied, tilting his head. "I heard whispering he probably might even be replaced by Prince Ozai."

"That's ridiculous! How could Ozai ever replace Iroh?" There was no way! At least, that's what Kazuo believed.

"Your guess is as good as mine," sighed Indyira, his gaze downcast.

Immediately, the amber-eyed boy grabbed his hand and ran out of the library, his small feet carrying him to the throne room. He got lost several times and had to ask his friend for directions since the palace was so huge and there were so many corners and so many doors. Almost passing the actual room right by, the two heard someone yell, "You dare suggest I betray Iroh?! My firstborn?!"

Kazuo froze at the large golden doors and shared a glance with Indyira that showed he was as shocked at the outburst as he was. It sounded distinctly like the Fire Lord, except Kazuo had hardly ever heard the calm, stoic old man raise his voice at anyone. Luckily enough, no guards were to be found. He opened the door a crack and slipped through, waiting for Indyira to pass through to follow. "I'm not so sure, especially if the Fire Lord's already angry?"

"Come on! Besides, if they catch us, I'll just say it's my fault," Kazuo hissed, gesturing for him to hurry up and make a decision. Once Indyira eventually followed inside, they rushed towards one of the columns, and on the other side, Kazuo caught a sight of Azula and Zuko from behind a curtain. Indyira saw, too, and slipped deeper into the shadows, not wanting anyone to figure out they were spying.

"Directly after the demise of his only beloved son? I believe Iroh has suffered enough, but you, your punishment has scarcely begun!" roared Azulon. Zuko ran away while Azula watched with a cruel smile. "You must know the pain of losing a firstborn son, by sacrificing your own!" Kazuo placed a hand over Indyira's mouth as he gasped to muffle the sound, but then he could barely withhold his own at this new information.

Wide-eyed, Ozai just stood there before his father. "Yes, honourable father." There wasn't even the faintest hint of defiance or fight in his tone, only monotone acceptance. Didn't he care he was just ordered to kill his own son? They watched as Prince Ozai bowed and turned around, walking towards the entrance doors. Not a peep was heard out of either boys as he walked out of the throne room and Azula then sneaked away herself.

Despite the soft protests Indyira made as he grabbed for his arm, Kazuo stepped away from the shelter of the columns to see Fire Lord Azulon with his wrists crossed behind him. He stood with his head lowered, expression unreadable, possibly pondering if his words had been irrational. "Fire Lord Azulon?" Kazuo called out to him.

The man looked over his shoulder as the boy knelt down before him. "Ah, yes, Kazuo." His whole tone changed and his expression of anger and distaste turned stoic.

"You should reconsider my Lord. I am sure you make no mistakes but Zuko is just a child and your grandson. You cannot blame him for his father being inconsiderate." His eyes met his as he said this, his head angled in a sign of respect. Sure, he'd yet to share so much as a simple conversation with Zuko, but Iroh had spoken fondly of his nephew, and it wouldn't be right to just let him loose someone when he could do something about it.

Azulon's voice was frigid like his opposite element. "Are you telling me to go back on my word?"

Warning bells went off in Kazuo's head and he quickly rephrased. Even though he was afraid, he tried to stand firm. "You do not make mistakes, Fire Lord Azulon..." He paused a moment, gathering his thoughts on the right thing to say. "But...you could make changes, for the better!"

Silent for a long moment, the old man stroked his beard. "I suppose I could reconsider my choice of punishment," he finally replied. He turned back around so only his back was seen. "It is only that I love my son and I understand he is grieving deeply. Lu Ten was a good boy. He would have made an excellent Fire Lord just like his father." Kazuo wanted to smile at his words even as his eyebrows rose.

"I understand, Fire Lord Azulon. I have not had the honor of meeting this Lu Ten, but I don't doubt your words. However, Zuko shows promise, too." Neither of them had one bit of interaction with the other, but to be honest, he was just coming up with whatever to save the young Fire Prince's life. "You should give him a chance. Who knows, he might grow to become almost as great as you." After a few moments of silence, the Fire Lord peered at him from over his shoulder.

"You are indeed a benevolent one, aren't you?"

Taken back, having no clue what 'benevolent' meant, Kazuo nervously said, "I'm sorry, but... _huh_?"

The man let a short, soft chuckle. "I must remember you are only a child. You seem to know much but not too much." Kazuo stared at him curiously. And he could have sworn he caught a smile. "My son, Prince Iroh has said nothing but kind words about you and even though it is because of my prejudice, I could not see what he found to be so special about you. But you have proved, young one, that his words were true."

The young boy found himself beaming and swelling with pride. "Your compliment is too great." He bowed. "If there ever was to be praise about you, Fire Lord Azulon, it's that you love your children deeply."

Silence filled the air again, and taking it as a dismissal, Kazuo then stood. "You should rest, my Lord," he said against his better judgement instead of just making a run for it. "Iroh might be returning in a few days, and he'll want to see you well-rested."

The Fire Lord gave a firm nod and Kazuo bowed once again before turning to leave the room. As he left he quickly ushered Indyira to discreetly follow him out. He immediately began jabbing at his chest with a forefinger, hissing scoldings and one colorful phrase Kazuo had to admit was pretty creative. However for now, he could only hope he'd saved Zuko's life and saved Iroh from any more grief.

"And just when I thought you were one of the only sane ones in this family!" finished Indyira, exasperated, not bothering to lower his voice the instant they were a good distance away from the doors of the throne room. They stopped in the middle of the deserted hallway. "You challenged the Fire Lord's decision?! You could have ended up a pile of char!"

"But I didn't!" Kazuo pointed out. "And I did get something thing out of it. I think I got him to change his mind."

" _Maybe_ ," countered a reluctant Indyira. "But you don't know that for sure!"

"Stop worrying!"

" _'Stop worrying?'_ " His voice went up an octave. "Listen, people can say all they want about the way we choose to live back home, but one thing we know how to do is survive, and you need that especially in a place like this, no matter how nice it is. The wrong word or the wrong thing, no matter how tiny, could get you banished or worse. Why? Because they _can_!"

Kazuo put up both hands to stop his rant. It seemed he'd known and seen what he spoke about firsthand if he was reacting like this. "Relax, I walked out with all my limbs and no banishment," he joked, but stopped when Indyira's eyes narrowed. "I think I might have swayed him from killing anyone and got him to like me a bit. He's not that scary now that I'm on his good side."

"True. That is the closest you're ever gonna get with the Fire Lord," Indyira sighed, resigned that this was gonna be his new friend's attitude. "Although did you really need to kiss up?"

"Was I that bad?"

"Nope, just obvious," he laughed softly, mimicking his voice in a scarily accurate impression. "'Who knows, he may become almost as great as you?' Really?"

"That was part kissing up, part true," Kazuo admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "He might be good, maybe better, since not all of Fire Lord Azulon's achievements were _good_. _Great_ , but not good."

Yet the sharp intake of breath that came through Indyira's teeth said he thought otherwise. "I don't know..." His fingers started fidgeting on a bright blue bead that stood out among his red attire. "I'm not sure if he'll even make the cut. It's a rule that the Fire Lord must be a good firebender at _least_ , and Zuko's just barely _adequate_ ; I've seen him. If anything, that honor might go to _Azula_ , since they say she's a prodigy, _and_ Prince Ozai and Fire Lord Azulon seem to favor her."

"Well that doesn't seem fair," Kazuo mumbled as they started walking down the corridor again.

"The world hardly is."

* * *

Not long after, there was another incident in the palace that changed everything.

That same night, after everyone had fallen asleep, Kazuo decided to roam and explore the palace as he had the previous few days. The palace was still beautiful, but at night, it was even more spectacular with the mysterious air about it that came with the midnight sky. Especially when the only people to worry about were the guards, and they happened to like him a bit.

He tiptoed through the hallway, gazing at various portraits on the wall. Each showed the royal family and each Fire Lord, all the way back to Sozin. As he stared at the faces of them all, he couldn't help wondering what it was like back then, before the war. Before the entire world began its suffering. He hadn't read all the history books yet, only some, but he knew enough to know he couldn't agree with everything the Fire Nation had done, even if they did it to spread the greatness of their nation throughout the world. Sadly, so far most of what he discovered of the other three nations were through what this one had done to them.

None of it he could understand the reason for. War or not. Then again, he was a child, what did he know of battle strategy?

He knew none of it felt right.

Wiping out and imprisoning all the waterbenders in the South Pole for something a part of them? Not right. In some places in the Earth Kingdom, they'd imprisoned all earthbenders. Not right. Fire Lord Sozin defeated and eliminated every and all traces of the Air Nomads till nothing remained. _Genocide_ wasn't right. He wasn't one hundred percent positive how or where he learned that word, but that was the one that came to mind to describe the murder of a whole race.

Of course, he could never go into deep thought without bumping into something. He fell onto the floor with, an "umpf" breaking through the quiet in the soundless corridor.

Except it didn't come from him.

"Kazuo," he heard Ursa hiss. "Why are you awake? You should be in bed." She helped him to his feet and brushed off his clothes. During his confusion at her appearance, he couldn't help but notice that she was dressed in an oversized cloak. She knelt down to his level and whispered, "Please, _please_ , go back to bed."

He completely disregarded her plea, squinting suspiciously at her. "What... Where are you going?" She wasn't focused on what he was saying; she was too busy looking around, her eyes darting to every shadow and corner. They were alone, so what was she worried about? "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving."

"Why? You're just going to _leave_ , no explanation, just completely out of the blue?" Kazuo demanded, his voice hard as he remembered Indyira. _She's the closest thing I have to my mom..._ He could imagine Indyira's face in the morning when he found out, and that angered him more. If the only reason he was here was her, what would become of him in this place without Ursa? Was she just going to _abandon_ him? Abandon Zuko and Azula?

"Please," she begged again. "It's too complicated to explain now, but you must not say anything about this. Just please go back to bed. Look after Zuko; he doesn't have many friends, and I hope I can trust you to keep his head on straight." She said nothing about Indyira, and he wondered if he was right and she only cared out of obligation. Then again, she could just be in a rush, since she didn't mention her daughter Azula either. Before Kazuo could argue, Ursa stood straight and hurried away, flipping the hood of her cloak up over her raven hair, hiding herself.

He wasn't sure what had happened, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to know. Yet something _had_ happened.

The next morning came news that made him sick to his stomach as it allowed him to put two and two together. Fire Lord Azulon had died in his sleep, Prince Ozai was crowned Fire Lord, and Princess Ursa was missing. Zuko, who was now Crown Prince, still kept his life, and though Kazuo had no clue _how_ exactly this all fit together as some factors remained unknown, it stank of foul play. Azulon had been in the picture of health, he had debated on keeping Zuko alive, and he fought hard for Iroh, and there was just no way he would've willingly given Ozai the throne over his firstborn.

That morning, at breakfast when the news was released, he kept his gaze cold, narrowed, and centered on Ozai the entire time. Everyone else could tell something was fishy about this, but they'd probably rather die than say it aloud. The only reason Kazuo chose to keep his mouth shut instead of confronting anyone was because he knew he couldn't accomplish anything this time by speaking up, and it'd do no good to get himself in trouble.

He _knew_ something was wrong and that Ozai, and unfortunately Ursa, were a part of it.

(Author's Note: I finally updated! Um, I really hope you guys liked this one, and there will be a few chapters after this one before Zuko's face gets burned. I may or may not take suggestions on what you guys might want to see mentioned before Zuko's banishment depending on how much free time I've got between school. So until next time, smooches! 💋)


	5. ROCKY STARTS

_**"** You have to make the best of things and look on the bright side, no matter how bad they seem. **"**_

 _ **"** I don't know how you can do that, really. **"**_

* * *

It was a week after Fire Lord Azulon's funeral and Prince Ozai's coronation. Somehow, at the funeral, Kazuo felt a pang of sadness. Despite the Fire Lord's regular coldness, he'd felt they were approaching a sort of mutual liking to each other.

Kazuo had steered clear of the royal family once more despite Ursa's request to seek out Zuko. From what he was seeing, none of them would mean anything good. The morning after Ursa's disappearance, Indyira was even more quiet than before, barely speaking more than a sentence per day, and it drove Kazuo crazy. He tried to make him speak in any way he could, but nothing seemed to work. Once or twice, he made him laugh when his face went red from frustration at his silence, but that's all he got for the rest of the day.

It was infuriating to see him in such a state and be able to do nothing about it. He couldn't imagine how Indyira must feel, having already lost his mother and now abandoned by the closest thing left. And if Kazuo ever saw Ursa again, however sweet she was, he'd give her a piece of his mind.

Until then, he would work on getting Indyira to smile again. As for Zuko, he could wait and be by his lonesome a little longer. In his mind, Indyira's well-being was more important than a lonely Fire Nation Prince.

Kazuo continued to receive letters from Iroh, and from his latest one, he knew he'd return today or tomorrow as promised. But he decided to make one last attempt at getting Indyira to speak before heading to wait for Iroh. In the afternoon, he found the boy in a lotus position, eyes closed and expression peaceful.

"Hey," Kazuo mumbled so as not to startle him. At the sound, Indyira opened his eyes and Kazuo noted they were red. "What are you doing?"

"Meditating." His voice was hoarse from going days without use. There was a long silence between them as Kazuo watched him, then Indyira spoke the more words than he had the past week, albeit in a saddened tone. "...My mom used to tell me that if I mediated hard enough, I could visit the spirit world one day. She used to go there sometimes whenever things here got too hard, but I never thought much about it until now."

Kazuo's brows furrowed. "Why would you want to visit the spirit world?"

"Because that's where my mom probably lives now. I want to see her again, and maybe if I try hard enough, then I can find her there and live with her."

Kazuo sat down before him with his knees tucked beneath him and placed a hand on his as it rested on the grass. "Maybe...but I'm not sure if she'd want you to throw your life away here," he said quietly.

"She wouldn't, would she?" With a sigh, Indyira took his hand out from under Kazuo's and used both his hands to prop his head up. "You're lucky you don't have to remember losing your parents. I miss my mom every day." Kazuo fought the urge to comment that he wouldn't say he's _lucky_ , because his friend needed support, not a 'who's got it worse' debate, instead choosing to watch him finger one of his beads. "We painted these together," he said wistfully. "They used to be dull and plain because we could never afford stuff that nice, so we put patterns and pretty colors on them. It's one of the things we got to do together, just the two of us."

Fingers grazing over the grass, Kazuo looked up at the blue sky. "I'm sorry," he said. There was barely anything else he could think of to say. "I ran into Ursa the night she left; she told me things were complicated and she had to leave."

"Sounds like the letter she left me."

"She left you a—"

"Yeah." The sudden bitterness and anger in his voice took him back. "Don't know why. It's just useless since the most I can make out is 'Dear Indyira!'" He took a piece off paper out of his pocket and crumbled it up. Kazuo took it out of his hand before he could throw it, though, and smoothed it out.

Looking it over, he read aloud, "'Dear Indyira, please forgive me, but I can't stay here. You'll be fine. You'll understand why I had to do it when you're older.'" That was all there was. Still no explanation.

Instead of smiling, Indyira let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Sounds like the exact same thing Heno said my mom wrote in her note before she died. I'll understand when I'm older. Well, I'm older and I still don't understand!" His voice echoed through the empty garden, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he lowered his head, his hands digging into his hair. He had to take several deep breaths to calm himself enough to speak again in a falsely calm and quiet voice. Tears escaped his eyes as he quickly brushed them away before they could hit the ground. "I know I shouldn't complain. Things aren't half as bad as they usually are and I should be grateful—"

"If anything, you've actually earned that right," Kazuo cut off, leaning over and taking his hands. "You shouldn't have to think you ought to fall to your knees and thank the spirits just because things couldn't aren't worse."

"That's because it doesn't solve anything to cry and get angry over things you can't change. Besides, I don't get to be that selfish." Indyira sounded wiser beyond his nine years as he forced a small smile on his lips. "You have to make the best of things and look on the bright side, no matter how bad they seem."

Tilting his head to the side, Kazuo mused, "I don't know how you can do that, really."

"Easy, just look at whatever good things came out of it," his friend explained with a shrug. Then his cheeks went a bit pink and he gave a small smile that looked genuine this time. "I mean, at least I got to meet you!"

Kazuo couldn't help laughing at his words. "Yeah, I guess things don't look too bad from that angle."

Kazuo wasn't sure what he could do to ease his friend's pain, so he just sat there and listened, and was just there so he knew he wasn't alone. When Indyira finally calmed down completely, he took a deep breath and began his mediating again. Except this time Kazuo got into the same position beside him and shut his eyes, seeing only darkness beneath his eyelids, but clearing his mind. His right hand was open, as if an invitation, and a moment passed before he felt Indyira's hand clasp onto his.

The two boys sat beside one another without a word as the sound of hybrid ducks and winds reached their ears.

For once, Kazuo's mind was blank and content.

* * *

As he waited by the palace doors, a book in his hands, Kazuo read in silence. The guards standing firm at the doors watched him. He made no sudden movements of leaving nor seemed to any intention to.

Both guards moved to the side as the large palace doors opened up. Kazuo's book snapped shut and his amber eyes met those of the person he'd wanted so badly to see for so long. "Iroh!" he cried, running to him, and wrapped his arms around Iroh's waist. The old man chuckled and knelt to hug him back properly.

Kazuo laughed into his shoulder, happy to be with him again. He wasn't sure how much longer he would've been able to endure in this creepy palace without him. "I'm sorry it has taken me so long to return," Iroh apologized as the child's hold on him became tighter.

"It's okay... I'm just glad you're here now," he said as he let go.

"Uncle!" Both Kazuo and Iroh looked left, seeing Prince Zuko running towards them a smile.

"My, my, Zuko... Well, now Prince Zuko, I am glad to see you." Iroh's free hand went atop of Zuko's head, his hair in its usual neat, high ponytail. Zuko and Kazuo spared a glance at each other, then both of them turned their attention to Iroh. "I know all this must be hard on you." He, too, had heard of Ursa's disappearance, and he could gather why she had left so mysteriously.

"I'm fine, Uncle," Zuko quickly, almost too quickly, replied as he made the impression the last thing he wanted to do was speak about his mother. "You retired from being general? Why?" he asked his uncle. Kazuo hadn't known, and kept his gaze on the older man as he pondered the same thing.

Iroh hummed in response. "I am an old man and I'd like to relax. I have seen most of the world and I want to spend my life appreciating life more," he told them.

Though he said nothing, it seemed Zuko understood. "Aren't you upset?" questioned the young prince. "My father did, after all, inherit the throne." Kazuo made a quiet indignant sound as he looked at the older boy. Obviously, he hadn't the faintest idea of the circumstances of how he'd become Crown Prince.

The old man chuckled. "Not at all. Your father saved me from all the stress."

Nodding, the Crown Prince smiled, satisfied by his uncle's reply. Kazuo guessed he didn't want any bad blood between the brothers since he wished for his uncle to stay. "You two have become acquainted, haven't you?" questioned Iroh.

Both boys then froze, and their eyes met. Zuko was the first to look away. "Not really..." admitted Kazuo uneasily.

Iroh furrowed his brows. "And why not?" The two glanced at each other again, seemingly communicating telepathically with their eyes on which one should explain since neither knew why the other never tried to strike a friendship or at least a conversation.

"Because he's weird," Zuko said suddenly, breaking eye contact. Taken back by his insulting remark, Kazuo opened his mouth, but was cut off by Iroh who could sense he was taking offense to his nephew's words.

"Kazuo seems to be a calm and smart boy, Prince Zuko. Have you seen him acting strange?" he asked his nephew, who stared at Kazuo, who met his gaze with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah," Zuko said, looking back at Iroh again. "All he does is read all day."

Kazuo's jaw dropped, then he clenched his teeth, his anger rising. "Well, if being smart means being weird, then I'm perfectly fine with that!" he snapped, nobody taking notice to the torches flaring slightly brighter. "Someone I know would love to be able to read all day even though he doesn't get to so you don't get to talk about it like it's a bad thing!"

"I'll have you know that talking back to a Crown Prince is quite treasonous," Zuko shot back.

Glaring daggers, Kazuo crossed his arms over his chest. "Crown Prince, huh? I suppose you think you just get to throw that title around like that, but you really shouldn't because a lot of people died to get that. But where'd you hear the word treasonous, from your father? Because I'm pretty sure you didn't learn it on your own."

Iroh stepped between the two. "That is enough!" His voice was stern and serious. "There is no need to fight." He looked down at Zuko. "Don't throw a title such as 'Crown Prince' so emptily for he is right that many have died to gain it just as some have had it ripped away from them. And treasonous? What good will it do to hurt someone you insulted first?" Zuko appeared taken back, surprised his uncle didn't defend him. However, he knew he was wrong. "And Kazuo, you must show respect and know better than to say such things. I know you are hurt by his words, but disrespect is not good revenge."

Kazuo nodded, although he was thinking, _But it is a good substitute._ True, he could have handled the situation better, but he couldn't help feeling angry at what the prince said to him. "Now you two, apologize to each other," scolded Iroh.

"I apologize, Prince Zuko," Kazuo said in an almost too polite tone as he bowed.

"And I apologize," sighed Zuko, and they both stood straight, silence between them.

"Now that we have sorted things out, how about some tea and a game of Pai Sho," Iroh smiled. "But first I must get something to eat!"

Kazuo couldn't help laughing at his enthusiasm for food, Zuko smiling once he realized his uncle hadn't changed too much. He was still pretty much the same. "Come on," he told the both of them as they looked at each other, then went to follow the former Fire Nation General.

When they reached the lounge room, Iroh looked at the children, who awkwardly stood side-by-side. Pai Sho wouldn't work with these two. Kazuo maybe, but with Zuko's short temper (and his inability to win), the game might do more harm than good. "Nevermind the Pai Sho, let's just eat and drink!" he said, calling over a servant. Kazuo just barely stopped himself from calling out a greeting as he recognized Indyira. Instead, he waved, and he shyly waved back with a broad grin that quickly faded as he looked down at his feet the instant he made eye contact with Iroh. "Hello, little one, could you tell the chef to prepare strawberry shortcake and a kettle of jasmine tea?"

Indyira bowed and nodded before running off to alert the chef. An awkward silence filled the room while Kazuo, Iroh, and Zuko waited for their food. Iroh watched the two children, clearly at odds, and the tension was thick enough to slice with a knife. "So, Prince Zuko, how goes training?" asked the old man with a smile.

In an instant, Zuko perked up and beamed, "It's going great, Uncle, I'm well on my way to becoming a master."

Nodding his head in approval, Iroh said, "I told you, 'A fall into the pit, A gain in your wit.' And Kazuo, judging from your knowledge, I assume you've been learning from these books. Since you can't attend any of the Fire Nation schools, it seems you'll have to learn on your own." Kazuo nodded his head, understanding the situation.

"Of course, I don't get mathematics, but I find history and science interesting."

"But then you should not dismiss the subject you face problems in," added the formal general.

"I guess so. If I avoid all my problems, they'll just become greater," sighed Kazuo.

"Indeed." Iroh looked at Zuko as the Crown Prince fiddled with his fingers.

Another servant walked in, bowing briefly before stating her business. "Former General Iroh, Fire Lord Ozai would like to speak with you." Despite the children's concerned expressions, he simply smiled and stood.

"I'll return later, save some tea and cake for me," he told them before exiting the room. Once again, the two boys sat in silence, finding nothing else to say. "Do you think Iroh's going to be okay?" Kazuo finally asked even though he didn't want to. He just needed to voice his thoughts. If Ozai had killed his own father for the throne (which he surely had), what was to say he wouldn't do the same to keep his brother out of the way if he saw him as a threat? Zuko faced him, surprised he'd even spoken to him.

"Yeah, I just think my father needs to talk with Uncle to decide what he wants to do now," Zuko answered, his tone uneasy, also wanting to believe Iroh would be fine. Maybe he knew his family better than Kazuo thought.

"Ah, okay," Kazuo sighed as he looked around, trying to find something to do.

As if on cue, Indyira came holding a tray with the strawberry shortcake cut in slices, a pot of jasmine tea, and three cups. He slowed once he realized they were alone. "Where's General Iroh?" he asked.

"He said he'll be back soon," Kazuo replied while Indyira set the tray on the low table. "You could sit with us until then. I think there's enough."

Although his cheeks flushed and he fingered a bead on one of his dreads with a smile, Indyira shook his head. "I don't think Prince Zuko would appreciate that very much," he mumbled, the smile disappearing once he glanced at the Crown Prince.

"Don't worry about it. Um, it's been a while," Zuko said awkwardly, staring at him. He tilted his head to the side. "Your hair's longer now, you can barely see anything under it. How do _you_ see from under it?"

"Practice," Indyira retorted dryly, and when he lifted his head, it was shocking to see his expression frigid as ice. "And that was months ago. Remind me again, was that before or after you let your sister and her friends shove me into the lake?"

"Hehe, you still remember that... How many more times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"Considering I almost drowned, I'll let you know when you get there."

"On the bright, at least you found out you could—"

"Anyway," Indyira sighed cooly, cutting him off, "I should get back before the chef yells at me for taking my time. I'll see you later, Kaz." Kazuo jerked at the new nickname, and Indyira noticed, his expression turning to its usual warm and shy nature the minute he set eyes on him. He gave a small wave before leaving.

"Your mom told me you don't really have many friends, but if you want to keep or make any, you seriously need to work on your people skills, just so you know," he remarked to Zuko, resting his chin in his palm.

"What?"

"Your people skills," he repeated, enunciating each syllable. "No offense, but from what I'm seeing, you suck at them."

"I do not!" Zuko snapped indignantly.

Undeterred, Kazuo went on, "I'm just saying, someone told me not everyone gets along with you at first. Now I see why. For example, it wouldn't exactly hurt to treat people a little better, whether you mean to do it or not. And you really shouldn't judge people based on their hobbies." He said the last part with a pointed look, raising an eyebrow. "If you get to know me first, and _then_ you think I'm weird, well, I'm okay with that, but _don't_ assume I'm weird just because I read a lot _,_ or don't be surprised next time when I just hit you."

"Well, I guess you're right," muttered Zuko, looking away.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Kazuo teased, wanting to hear him say it again, since the prince clearly had a deep sense of pride that needed to be taken down a notch. And who better than him? He could introduce him to Liling since he probably knew her brothers, but Kazuo didn't think Zuko's pride needed to be _squashed_ without mercy, just knocked down a few pegs.

"I said I guess you're right!" Zuko said, just below a shout.

"If we are going to be family, and friends," added Kazuo last minute with a laugh (family doesn't necessarily mean you're automatically _close_ , judging from Ozai and Iroh), "then I think you're gonna have to get used to saying that."

A moment passed as Zuko frowned before he chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Tea?" Kazuo held out the kettle. "Iroh might be a while."

"Sure."

After all, even if things seem bad, you have to make the best of things. And having a friend _did_ sound better than an enemy in a place like this.


End file.
